Two university students killed as car rammed by express bus

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Fire and Rescue Services personnel extricating the body of Norashila from the passenger seat.

KOTA KINABALU: Two university students were killed when the Perodua Viva car they were travelling in was rammed by an express bus along the Tuaran Bypass near SK Bandaraya, near here yesterday.

The victims were identified as the Viva driver, Shazwan Hazlami bin Sharidzuan, 23, from Taman Indah Jaya, Sandakan, and Norashila bte Abdullah, 23, from Miri, Sarawak.

Both victims, who were believed to be students at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, were killed instantly in the accident which happened around 8pm.

Fire and Rescue personnel are trying to extricate the bodies from the badly damaged car.

It was learnt that Shazwan and Nurashila were heading for Kampung Gudon in Menggatal via Tuaran bypass.

The Perodua Viva car was coming from the direction of Sepanggar and was turning into SK Bandaraya at the traffic light junction when the express bus, with about 38 passengers, heading to Tawau from the city centre, rammed and dragged the car for about 200 metres.

The victims died instantly at the scene due to severe head and body injuries.

It took about half an hour for the Fire and Rescue Services Department personnel to extricate the bodies from the badly damaged car.

The badly damaged Perodua Viva car following an accident with an express bus along Tuaran Bypass yesterday.

City police chief ACP Jauteh Dikun said the bodies of the victims had been taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for post-mortem and their family members had been notified.

Jauteh added that none of the 40 people in the express bus, including the driver and co-driver, were injured.

He said the case would be investigated under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, and urged eyewitness to come forward to assist police in the investigation.